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'Not great preparation'

The press conference starts with Warnock asked how the week has gone in training....

Neil Warnock: "Up and down, there’s been some good bits and one or two injury problems, hopefully it will level out. We’ve got two or three decisions either way, lads trying to get into the team. There’s been a bit of illness in the camp too so it’s not been great preparation."




The big question

Worth bringing you this little interchange, after the long history between Warnock and Benitez...

Reporter: Will you shake Benitez’s hand?

Warnock: Yes, of course I would.




Cardiff City face a daunting trip to this season's Championship pace-setters Newcastle United on Saturday. And with the Bluebirds stung by lowly Wigan Athletic in their last match, a victory looks unlikely for Neil Warnock's men.

However, they have thrived under the 'underdogs' tag since Warnock replaced Paul Trollope and could spring a surprise on Tyneside.

We'll be hearing from Warnock ahead of the trip. He should give an update on the fitness of Rickie Lambert and an indication of what his starting XI might be as the Bluebirds look to upset Rafa Benitez's high-flying Magpies.

Stay with us for live updates.

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It's personal!

The personal feud at the heart of this clash is certainly intriguing. There isn’t much love lost between Rafa Benitez and Neil Warnock after a 2007 spat that began with Warnock accusing his rival of fielding a weaker team that cost Sheffield United dearly.

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'Not great preparation'

The press conference starts with Warnock asked how the week has gone in training....

Neil Warnock: "Up and down, there’s been some good bits and one or two injury problems, hopefully it will level out. We’ve got two or three decisions either way, lads trying to get into the team. There’s been a bit of illness in the camp too so it’s not been great preparation."

Warnock on Benitez

Neil Warnock: "I have to say how much I admire him. What’s gone on in past will not go away, I was disappointed at the time, but that’s gone. I’ve got nothing but admiration for him, to stick with it. To be relegated and then to stay..he’ll be on a good salary but it’s not money that motivates you at this stage of our career, he wants to win and see the project. I was surprised he stayed but it shows what he thinks of the club. It’s always needed some stability, to start at scratch, and they have the financial muscle. He’ll be looking at Europe him in the next few years with the backing and fan base. Once they take off it’ll be like a steamroller."

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'You're in football for games like this'

Safe to say Neil Warnock is excited rather than daunted by the prospect of facing 50,000 geordies and the Championship’s in-form side on Saturday.

He’s billed it as a ‘David v Goliath’ clash.

Here is what he said:

Warnock: "You’re in football for games like this, 50,000 screaming in black and white and lowly Cardoiff. David and Goliath. You’ve got to enjoy it, it’s a bonus game. You have to perform as best as you can. They’ve won 7 on the trot so it will be difficult but it’s another challenge."

Reflections on Latics' defeat

Warnock wasn’t happy after the 1-0 loss to Wigan last week.

Neil Warnock: "People say it’s a point dropped for me it’s three points dropped. But you have to score. We looked at our opportunities and theirs and their’s were over in a flash. That’s football if you lose concentration.
And Newcastle, no disrespect to Wigan, we watched them destroy Preston and Ronnie Jepson said they’re the best squad he’s even seen in the Championship. That’s the bad news, but the good news they can only play 11. We feel we can have players who can cause them problems, but we have to have everyone on top of their game."

Rickie Lambert fitness update


Warnock: "It was a ‘horrific’ injury that Rickie Lambert picked up against Nottingham Forest a fortnight ago."

The talisman missed the Wigan Athletic defeat. And here is the latest from Warnock, who won’t gamble on his frontman’s fitness.

He is running, but we’ve got problems elsewhere with the striking situation. Perhaps he can make the bench, I don’t know. He’ll definitely be ok for Huddersfield, it’s whether this is too soon. We won’t take a risk. He did some training on his own, non contact.

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Best fans in the country?

A 50,000-plus crowd? Warnock can’t wait!

Neil Warnock: "It’s a tremendous occasion, they’re possibly the best fans in the country. They’ve not had much to shout about, you have to give credit to Benitez. He was at Real Madrid two years ago, he not only went down with them but stuck with them. It shows it’s a special club. They’ve got good championship players who could step up and it will be hell of a battle."

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Neil Warnock on Gayle

And Gayle is a player Warnock knows well from his Crystal Palace days. Here’s what he had to say about the in-form forward...

Neil Warnock: "He’s the best finisher I’ve ever had, you just couldn’t find a system week in week out. He always wanted to be loved, Rafa has loved him. In the box he comes alive and would get in anybody’s team in the 18 yard box, but Rafa has put other things to his game, he looks far more complete player. The good news they only have 11 and we have to look after ourselves, we have good players. We now they’ve brushed aside most teams in the last few weeks, but with the crowd behind them it will be a hectic start and we’ll have to defend from the first minute. But you relish the challenge. No disrespect to some of the teams, I don’t think there’s a better scenario. My first game back with Palace was there and we got a 3-3 draw, you have to relish it and hope you perform at best of ability. If you have any weaknesses you’ll get punished."

Dwight Gayle

Dwight Gayle is the Championship’s top goal scorer with 11 league strikes this season...

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Neil Warnock insisted 'he has nothing but admiration' for Rafa Benitez as Cardiff City prepare to face Championship table toppers Newcastle United.

By Dominic Booth

Friday 04th Nov 2016

The pair lock horns on Saturday after a nine-year-old feud which dates back to Warnock's Sheffield United side being relegated to the Premier League when Benitez was in charge of Liverpool.

And while Blades fan Warnock admitted that dispute remains sore, he admires Benitez for staying with the Magpies in the second tier.

"I have to say how much I admire him," said Warnock of the experienced Spaniard.

"What's gone on in the past will not go away, I was disappointed at the time, but that's gone. I've got nothing but admiration for him, to stick with it.

"To be relegated and then to stay... he'll be on a good salary but it's not money that motivates you at this stage of our career. He wants to win and see the project through.

"I was surprised he stayed but it shows what he thinks of the club. He was at Real Madrid two years ago, he went down but he stuck with them.

"It shows it's a special club."



Warnock accepted his Bluebirds side were massive underdogs going into the clash after seeing the strength of the Magpies' lineup.

Benitez's men have won their last seven in all competitions and have opened up a three point lead at the Championship summit.

But he vowed to enjoy the occasion and treat the match as a 'bonus game'.

He added: "You're in football for games like this. 50,000 screaming in black and white and lowly Cardiff. David and Goliath. You've got to enjoy it, it's a bonus game. They've won seven on the trot but it's another challenge."

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Warnock tipping Newcastle for promotion

Warnock: "I’d be surprised if they don’t finish six or seven points above third. There might be another who hangs on the coat tails."

The Magpies are currently three points clear at the top of the Championship.

Is Warnock looking forward to the international break?



Some managers like the two-week period to allow more time for training... But Warnock has other priorities.

Neil Warnock: "It’s not the break I’m looking forward to, it’s January. I’ve learned a lot in the last few weeks, what we will need to do in future when we play clubs around that bottom half, we have to change certain things and probably one or two players. We haven’t got an awful lot of goalscorers so we have to work harder for them, we have to try and solve those problems in January, I don’t think we can before, we will be out and about looking at games, all staff will be looking at games and players. January is a difficult time to buy but needs must."

"You can’t always get the players you want, you don’t really want to be buying if you can help it, because most done an hour before deadline. It’s a game of roulette. It always helps coming in summer with a basis. You mould what you’ve got and improve it with the odd one, but we’ve got to make ends meets outs and ins. It will be more difficult, that helps with the challenge of making the club better longer term."

Warnock on poppy ban...

Neil Warnock: "It doesn’t surprise me because FIFA don’t know what they’re doing, nothing ceases to amaze me. They don’t know what it means to our country. I think we should just wear the armbands, they can’t ban that."

The big question

Worth bringing you this little interchange, after the long history between Warnock and Benitez...

Reporter: Will you shake Benitez’s hand?

Warnock: "Yes, of course I would."

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